Maine lawmaker seeks to make pot more accessible to patients

Rep. Mark Dion proposing new bill

A bill, proposed by Rep. Mark Dion, D-Portland, would allow any physician to write a prescription for the plant and eliminate the lists of ailments and diseases for which medical marijuana is prescribed.

Dion announced the bill and its details at a news conference Monday afternoon.

"The principal is simple. I believe in patient-centered care. Behind that is the idea that the best people positioned are in fact the patient and his or her doctor," said Dion.

Veteran Ryan Begin has had more than 50 surgeries after his arm was serverely injured by a bomb during a tour in Iraq. He also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Because doctors in Maine currently can't prescribe medical marijuana for mental illness, Begin said the only reason he is prescribed medical marijuana is because of his arm.

"I have to be thankful for my arm getting blown off cause had my arm not got wounded, I would not have qualified for medical marijuana. My PTSD would still be uncontrolled," said Begin.

Gordon Smith, executive vice president for Maine Medical Association, said the association has opposed another similar bill in a previous session and expects to oppose Dion's bill in January.

He said medical marijuana is unlike any other medication and still considered a Schedule I substance under federal law.

Smith said schedule I substances have a high potential for abuse, have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and have a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.

"I think this sets a dangerous precedent somewhere down the road that a doctor could prescribe medical marijuana for anything from anxiety to depression," Smith said.

Begin's doctor said medical marijuana can help with conditions like anxiety and depression.

"I know if cannabis is able to replace such a wide variety of medications, including those in the mental health realm, there must be some mental health benefits for these patients," said Dr. Dustin Sulak, DO.